Earth Inc.

by Michael Bollen

It's 2052, corporations have taken over the world and Jorj just wants to go to bed. But a conspiracy of killer robots, cyber-terrorists, mad scientists, professional cockneys and the end of the world keep getting in the way. Again and again and again...This is a sci-fi comedy with a political edge from the twisted genius behind satirical cut and paste band Cassetteboy.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia

351 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2008

Reviews

[Alex Jamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the imminent future, London has been cut off from the rest of the UK and all its residents voluntarily implanted with Softcoms 'lifePods', plumbed into the bloodstream and providing all the benefits of a phone, doctor, credit card and universal monitoring system.
Young Jorj Parka is trying to keep his 'Lifeshares' up and not get dumped into the wasteland occupied by non-shareholders, or 'Nons' Unfortunately he's not very good at it... Only when he meets Abi, does he discover how to evade the system and in the bargain foil the plans of a mad scientist to release a nano-virus which threatens to eat the world, literally!
No, this book was not written in 2019, or 2020, but in 2008 by Michael Bollen, one half of the comedy cut-and paste band Cassetteboy and clearly something of a prophet, albeit seeing the future through a comical and satirical lens.
This book is hilarious and terrifying by turns and a real rollercoaster of absurd humour with a very British 'Doctor Who cum Douglas Adams' feel. I worked with Michael in Brighton library while he was writing this book and his mild mannered, IT savvy nature would have never betrayed the throbbing brain of prophetic madness beating gently beneath his skull. Highly recommended and dare I say it 'essential reading for our times'...

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a well written and entertaining book. I agree with some of the comments on the front, that suggest a certain similarity of style with Douglas Adams.
However it does take a long time to get going. I like the final climax, and the events leading up to it, but it does take a while to get there. Had it been more concise it might even have had a fourth star.

[Martin Willoughby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Witty, enjoyable, end of the world.

[Picnic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderfully funny satirical sci-fi novel from a hugely promising new writer. The hitch-hiker's guide to globalisation!

Are you bored on planet earth? Then why not try all new earth Inc. bought to you be soft com, best-co, okay cola and O’Connels burgers. The whole planet has been loving re-crafted to meet the needs of you the wealthy consumer.

Flying cars, phone implants, plasma shirts, and life I-pods all this could be yours, supplied in a secure environment, safe from the worlds undesirable, anti social masses.
Trust softcom- You know what’s good for you!!!

Described by Stephen Merchant as “Quite possibly the best work of fiction since the bible”. Earth Inc is funny, charming and an intensely good read. Squapple anyone??

[Jim · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quite amusing but paceless read. There were loads of good and quirky ideas in it, but the characters were feebly drawn, and the story was thin.

The government of the world has fallen into the hands of big corporations - Softcom and O'Connells - thinly disguised Microsoft and MacDonalds, and this allows us to buy not "Big Macs", but "Big Cons" and so on and so forth.

This is really a cartoon book, not a novel. I read to the end not to find out what was going to happen, but to see what the joke in the next "frame" would be. If I hadn't been on holiday, I might have given up.

[Es]

oh god.
I literally never, ever don't finish a book once i've started it.
but 60 pages in and i had to give up. seriously.

[Jennie Smith]

I really enjoyed this debut novel. It was very well observed and I just hope that the future doesn't turn out like that!!